current obsession...

if you read my blog, you have probably read one of my numerous posts about the end tables i ordered from ethan allen. anyway, i am picking them up today...YIPPEE!

new end tables triggered me to start thinking about new throw pillows! afterall spring is around the corner, right! like paint, throw pillows are an inexpensive way to spice up a room!

yesterday, i checked out some of the fabulous throw pillow covers for sale over on etsy. sure, i could go to calico corners [like i often do, another small obsession in itself, lol!] spend lots of $$$$ on fabric only to have it sit in my closet. i could spend hundreds of dollars on a custom order at calico corners, but seeing we are in a transition phase why?!??!  just seems pointless for me at this moment in my life! don't get me started, if you read my blog you know what i am talking about....michigan --- real estate...get my drift!!!

anyone remember persnickety? persnickety was a high-end fabric/custom furniture store that had locations in lake forest, il CORRECTION: winnetka, il, birmingham, mi and other locations in the u.s. unfortunately, they closed their doors back in 2004 or 2005? i purchased a number of fabulous custom pillow covers, drapes and valances from them....of course, on sale!

back to the topic of fabric, over the years i have spent $$$$ on fabric! of course, i had every intention of making my own curtains, pillows, etc. unfortunately, not much came to fruition! sure i have a fabulous collection of fabric, a sewing machine but i one thing....the talent of making a pillow look like a professional made it! i.e., zipper covers!

anyway, i have been researching 20 x 20 pillow covers over on etsy. i was impressed to come across so many fabulous pillow covers, below are some of my favorite etsy designers:

below is one of my favorite patterns from pillow talk and more:

next up, wilmalong...

loving this sailboat throw pillow!

or how about this sailboat pillow in NAVY BLUE....LOVE!!!

from kainkain

finally, one of my favorite designers trendy pillows:

i ended up ordering a few pillows and will save the big reveal for another post! best of all, i can run over to calico corners and purchase the down pillows!

can't wait to see how everything turns out!

do you shop etsy?

if not, you should check out their website - http://www.etsy.com/.

i've purchased a number of oil paintings and most recently a few watercolors.  amazingly, you can find just about anything on their website!

[photo credits: etsy website]

let's take a drive...

the sun is FINALLY shining in chicago, YIPPEE! don't be fooled, it's only 31 degrees outside, BRRRR!

can't wait for the warm weather to return, so can take trips up to our cottage in northern michigan! hard to believe i haven't been up since labor day '10. oh well, below are a few photos from some of my favorite places upnorth.

[charlevoix, michigan]

one of my favorite monogram stores up north is called monogram goods. you are probably familiar with them online or at one of their many trunk shows.

[monogram goods, harbor springs, mi]

another one of my favorite shops in petosky is called cutler's!

[cutler's, petoskey, michigan]

cutler's has a little something for everyone! plus, a great kitchen store too!

a trip up north isn't complete without a little shopping in leland, suttons bay and glen arbor. below are a couple of photos from leland.

[haystacks, leland, michigan]

carlson's fish market in leland, YUM! got chub??!?!

almost forgot, one of my favorite activities while upnorth...WINE TASTING! below is a photo from the entrance at blackstar farms winery which is located south of suttons bay. also, don't forget to purchase some raclette cheese, YUM!!

if you have been to michigan, do you have a favorite winery? mine happens to be the round barn winery in southeast michigan!

oh well,

cheers!

ha! ha! ha!

while up in lake geneva, wi last weekend i came across these party cups and couldn't help be take a photo! two of my favorites were "helps white people dance" and "the get older i get the better i was."

...LOL!

it's almost here...

it's a new year, spring is around the corner and that means time to start thinking about the next color combo to add to my growing collection of stephen bonanno [and yes, jack rogers too!] sandals.

yes, i know i have a small obsession with these sandals! lol!

still missing the silver pair which is up north, which i will get when we up to our cottage in michigan over memorial day.

i am sure many of you have seen these color keys. the one below happens to be the stephen bonnano color key. it's amazing all the color combos out there, some i love others not so much!  ha! ha!

i am still partial to stephen bonanno palm beach classic and emma classic monogram styles. monogrammed emma's in navy blue & white isn't very viewable from the photo of my sandals, but those are probably one of my favorite pairs!

as far as jack rogers, i'm a navajo girl! the white pair i have is actually a hi-najavo. basically, it has a slight heel. i don't know about you, but i can't have enough of these sandals! 

have you thought about what color combo you are going to go with for your next pair?

seeing that our next vacation is a trip to las vegas and well, i don't consider las vegas to be a very "sandal" friendly place. don't get me wrong, flip flops yet but not these lovely sandals. especially when you consider all the walking you do from casino to casino, at least that's my opinion anyway. however, wearing them to the pool or to dinner, you bet i'll be wearing them then!

speaking of sandals, do you have a favorite color combo?

i also checked out the stephen bonanno website and came across something new:

can't wait to see what these dog tags look like! i don't have a god, but i have a lead and collar! one of these days! i have even picked out the perfect monogrammed dog bed from l.l.bean!

have a great day!

~ PLD

[photo credit: stephen bonanno website]

shhhhhh! don't tell anyone...

guess what i got today?

here's a hint:

no, not another cat! ...good guess!

i actually "trash picked" [shhhhhhhhh!] another settee. not sure if you can see the settee in the image above, it's a darker wood finish and i did not trash pick that one! wish i did, paid a pretty penny for it! ha! ha!

with a little TLC it will look good in no time!

normally, i am the one throwing out stuff people trash pick, but when i saw this settee i knew i had to have it! the sette will sit in the garage until i have time to restore and figure out where i am going to put it?!?! it actually belonged to one of my neighbors. they were getting rid of it because it was old and the settee has some damage on the seat. minor damage if you ask me, YIPPEEE!

did you remember to check out the perfectly framed sale event at rue la la? not a member of rue la la? click here for your personal invite. sales are private, membership is free!  vera wang for wedgewood, nambe and other brands included! i ordered the following nambe frame.

originally, i ordered this nambe "cascade" frame for a shower gift, but i think i am going to keep it for myself.

do you ever buy a gift and end up keeping it for yourself?!?!!?  ha! ha! happens to me all the time, lol!

~ PLD

[photo credit: rue la la website]

just for you...

enjoy!

have a fabulous day!

~ PLD

what do you think?

as much as i love my smathers & branson "republican" needlepoint key fob, it's time for something new.

i still can't believe i spent $125, at least i think that's what i paid for the LV key chain also in the photo above.

curious, do you ever look back and regret purchasing anything, even though at the time it was something you really wanted, even if it is brand like LV??!?!?!

below are a few needlepoint options i like over on the smathers & branson website:

i also ventured over to another tucker blair and found three more needlepoint key fobs i like:

of 3 choices from tucker blair the one i like the best is the one with the sailboat and lighthouse. you may have noticed it in the 1st image, i bought for my husband back in '07 at the junior league of chicago's holiday gazebo.

hmmm, maybe i could just take back his key fob and buy him something else? hmmmm, that's definitely a possibility but doubt i'll take his 2nds, lol!

all i know, come election time i will proudly bring out my republican needlepoint key fob...just sayin'!

of the 6 choices shown above which one is your favorite? you never know, in the near future i could hold a giveaway! hint! hint!

curious are there any other companies out there that also sell needlepoint key fobs that i should know about? if so, let let me know. thanks!

oh well, i am listening to the weather report and this week it's pretty much going to suck here in chicago. although, next week we could see temps in the 60's  ----- YES, you read that correctly! 60 degrees, bring it!!

can't wait to bring out all my jack rogers/stephen bonanno sandals!

it's been far too long!

~ PLD

[photo credits: smathers & branson and tucker blair websites]

on a roll, why stop now...

so excited, yesterday i received a call that the side tables i ordered from ethan allen are here. actually, they will be available for pick up this week! 

while sitting in the lobby bar at the grand geneva resort & spa, i noticed something familiar. the same side tables i ordered! of course, i couldn't resist snatching a photo.

i probably won't get around to picking up the side tables up until next weekend. not sure what i am going to do with them yet?

you know this "transition" phase we are in really sucks! i can't wait for the day when our house back in grosse pointe, michigan is SOLD and we are in the market to buy something new! you know when we sold our first house in elmhurst, illinios it sold the day before it hit the market! plus our property value increased 33%. well, i just received my assessment from the city and well it was extremely disappointing! if we sold our house today it would sell for about $125,000 LESS than what we paid for it! talk about depressing, ugh!!!

then again we could always move back to grosse pointe, but i love it here in chicago! oh, why does life throw such curve balls!?!!?!!?

okay, time to change topics!

guess it's time to finish watching desprate housewives. i feel like i haven't watched this show in months! what's up with susan talking about dieing? and why is lynette talking as if her children are gone? sheesh, i'm lost!

later,

~ PLD

[photo credit: ethan allen website]

fabulous finds...

i just looked at the weather report for chicago this week and it's not looking good! seriously, i am so done with winter! what i wouldn't give for 60 degree weather! so old many winter if you are reading this, go get lost! thank you.

luckily, spring is around the corner! not sure when it will arrive or how long it will stay around? you see in chicago we really only have two seasons -- summer and winter! spring and fall are short lived around here, ha! ha!

oh well, tonight i checked out the sales over at rue la la and couldn't help but check out the kathy lee ballard fine table linens sale event.

i really like the pink and green sets below, although the blue and yellow sets are also nice but don't match the fabric of my dining room chair. 

head on over and check out the linen sale, esp. if you are looking for some linens for easter! lots of great patterns to choose from and prices too! if you aren't a member of rue la la, click here for your personal invite. sales are private, sign up is free!

also, don't forget to check out the perfectly framed sale event on tuesday, march 8th! vera wang for wedgewood, nambe and other brands included! i just hope i remember to check the sale before everything is gone!

did you know that one kings lane is more than just website full of fabulous sale events. one kings lane also has a link called, get inspired that is full of decorating, entertaining and other tips from professional designers. 

if you haven't checked it out, you should. full of lots of great design inspirations! not a member of one kings lane, click here. sales are private, sign up is free!

speaking of one kings lane, have you checked out joss & main? if you love one kings lane, you'll love joss & main!

oh well, hope you all have a great night!

happy shopping!

~ PLD 

[photo credits: rue la la, one kings lane and joss & main websites]

items of interest...

we are home from our weekend getaway to lake geneva, wisconsin. this time stayed over at the grand geneva resort & spa. i love that it's about an hour and a half north of chicago.

it was freezing yesterday, but that didn't stop me from venturing over to a few of my favorite shops in lake geneva.  first off, i stopped over at brick & mortar home. i really like the sail totes below:

for a split second about buying one. then i thought about my post about having too many totes/duffles and decided to pass! i swear one of these days i will purchase one of these boat totes! maybe when i am out in newport, rhode island this summer? 

okay, i am really hating blogger at the moment, i see now why i was in NO hurry to switch over to new blogger format! sheesh, moving pictures around SUCKS!  ...sorry for the rant!!!

oh well, below are images of other items i came across while wondering around the store.

okay, maybe i will think again about posting lots of photos in one post! sheesh!

okay, over at the cornerstone shop i came across this adorable needlepoint sail pillow.  

over at the bootery, i came across a few pars of HUNTER boots on sale for only $75.00! tempting based on price, but i prefer the "huntress" style. no, i do NOT wear a size 10! try an 8.5 /9, lol!!

 next up over at abbellimeto i came across this monogrammed vietri table setting from italy. i didn't even bother to check the price tag, one i have enough place settings and two i am sure it was upwards of a couple of hundred dollars, lol!!

hard to believe, but i actually only purchased this elephant soap dish at brick & mortar. it was too cute to pass up and for only $15....SOLD! 

oh well, below is a photo from geneva lake. as you can tell, clearly it's still winter! ugh, lake geneva is such a fun vibrant place to visit in the summer. one thing i like about coming up in the off season is that it isn't swarming with tourists like the summer months!

oh well, it's time to make dinner! have a great night!

~ PLD